Trends in food intakes in Swedish adults 1986–1999: findings from the Northern Sweden MONICA (Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease) Study

• Published in: Public health nutrition Vol. 8; no. 6; pp. 628 - 635
• Main Authors: Krachler, Benno, Eliasson, Mats CE, Johansson, Ingegerd, Hallmans, G/ran, Lindahl, Bernt
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.09.2005
• Subjects: Adult; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology; Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control; Cereals; Clinical medicine; Coffee; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cross-sectional study; Cross-sectional survey; Dairy Products; Diabetes; Diet; Diet - trends; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; Dietary Fats, Unsaturated - administration & dosage; Dietary intake; Dietary survey; Feeding Behavior; Female; Food; Food consumption; Food frequency; Humans; Male; Medicine; Middle Aged; Milk; MONICA; Nutrition research; Nutrition Surveys; Obesity - epidemiology; Oils & fats; Public health; Questionnaires; Surveys and Questionnaires; Sweden; Sweden - epidemiology; Trends; Vegetable oils; Vegetables; Womens health; Sweden; Sweden; Dietary survey; Diet; Cross-sectional survey; Food frequency; MONICA; Dietary intake; Cross-sectional study; Food consumption; Milk
• ISSN: 1368-9800; 1475-2727; 1475-2727
• DOI: 10.1079/PHN2004710

To determine changes in reported food frequency in adults between 1986 and 1999. Four consecutive cross-sectional surveys. Counties of Norrbotten and Västerbotten, Northern Sweden. The Northern Sweden MONICA (Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease) population, four independent cross-sectional surveys in 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1999. Randomly selected age-stratified samples of the population aged 25-64 years. Analysis is based on 2982 males and 3087 females who completed an 84-item food-frequency questionnaire. Between 1986 and 1999, average reported consumption of 3%-fat milk decreased from 42 to 7 intakes month(-1) in men and from 28 to 4 intakes month(-1) in women. Reported use of 1.5%-fat milk increased from 6 to 27 intakes month(-1) in men and from 6 to 24 in women. Monthly intakes of potatoes and root vegetables decreased from 38 to 27 in men and from 39 to 32 in women. Consumption of pasta increased from 4 to 7 intakes month(-1) in both sexes. Intakes of solid fats with 80% fat content dropped from 92 to 62 per month in men and from 78 to 52 per month in women, whereas use of 40%-fat spread increased from 12 to 22 intakes month(-1) in men and from 5 to 26 in women. Monthly intakes of vegetable oil increased from 3 to 12 in men and from 3 to 15 in women. The percentage of overweight or obese individuals (body mass index >25 kg m(-2)) increased from 52 to 65% in men and from 41 to 52% in women (P for linear trend in all these changes, <0.001). Our data indicate reduced consumption of foods with a high content of saturated fats. In spite of that, there is an unbroken trend towards increased obesity.